alfred fitzroy



Patented lune I3, I899.

A. FITZRDY. MECHANICAL TRIMMER; (Application filed Apr. 4, 1599.

(No Model.)

ALFRED FITZROY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,829, dated J une 13, 1899.

Application filed April 4., 1899- To to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known thzitl, ALFRED Frrznov, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Trimmers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation to that class of mechanical devices which are employed for moving or distributing grain or any granular substances-as, for instance, in the hold of a vessel or in a car or other compartment. This movement or distribution of the grain, &c., is called trimming, and attempts have been made in the direction of applying machin cry for the purpose. The machines, however they may operate, are callec mechanical trimmers.

I The object of my invention is therefore to provide or produce a mechanical trimmer of the class indicatech which will move or distribute the grain, &c., to any desired point or points within a ship or car or other compartment and this without damaging the grain in any way and which shall be simple and easy of operation, easily located for use,

and not expensive to construct.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, I have shown at Figure 1 a side View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of an apparatus constructed and arranged for operation in accordance with my invention and involving my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the hood, showing two air-injectors located therein instead of one, as in Fig. 1.

In both figures like letters of reference wherever they occur indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a grain-carrying chute of any of the usual styles, through which the grain is discharged by gravity from the elevator or other place. through this chute is very great, depending upon the distance through which it falls, and taking advantage of this velocity the discharging grain may be projected a considerable distance. If the grain be discharged from the chute directly into the hold of a ves- The velocity of the grain falling swarm. 711,648. (No model-l sel or intoa car or othercompartment, it will assume the form of a cone beneath the chute and necessitate the operation of trimming in order to distribute it properly.

B is one form of deflector which I locate beneath the chute as a part of my apparatus. The grain falling upon this deflector with considerable velocity is projected a considerable distancesometimes as far as twenty feet or more from the deflector, accordingto circumstances. But this deflection of the grain or other substance is not sufficient to accomplish the trimming required, and it is my purpose by my improved apparatus to project the grain, &c., to a still greater distance and this without injury to the grain. It has heretofore been proposed to use a deflector at the point indicated to deflect the grain from beneath the chute as far as possible and then to finish the trimming by manual labor.

I mount the deflectorB upon an adjustable standard 0, so that it may be easily raised or lowered or turned, as may be required, to deliver the material at the exact point desired, and the standard is preferably mounted on a base, as D, so that it will not sink into the grain beneath it.

At a is a convenient form of handle, by which the deflector may be moved.

Taking the grain, &c., from the point to which it is projected by the apparatus so far described and while it is yet under motion I with a convenient form of valve, as at b, for

regulating the flow of air, and thereby regulatin g the projecting power or the distance to which the material may be thrown. Any suitable form of nozzle may be provided for the air-delivery pipe; but I prefer to deliver the air into a section of tubing, as at G, considerably larger than the air-pipe F and to provide the section G with a contractor, as c.

Under this arrangement the blast of air will induce a current from the exterior, as will be readily understood, and the compressed air, therefore, more economicallyemployed. The section G is adjustable back and forth toward or from the delivery end of the air-pipe, so that the blast may be thus regulated to suit the conditions of the work to be performed.

The hood E may be of any suitable shape which is convenient and easy to make, and any desired number of air-jets maybe introduced to project the material from the hood. For instance, in Fig. 2 two jets are employed, and more may be added, if desired. Thematerial being directed into the hood, as above indicated, it is acted upon by the air-cu rrents in such manner as to increase its velocity and to drive it through the discharge-orifice with sufficient force to deliver it at the desired points. It may be projected twenty, thirty, or even a greater number of feet, according to the power employed. The hood may be shifted as may be required, and thus the material delivered at the place desired with no more manual labor than is necessary to adjust the apparatus. The principle of thus projecting the material is an important feature of my invention. It will be observed that there is a considerable distance between the deflector and the hood or the part of the apparatus where the power is applied and that the material is only brought into contact with a very small portion of the hood. Heretofore it has been proposed to force the grain, 850., through tubes by compressed air; but I find that even a very short cylindrical tube constitutes so great an impediment to the moving material that it is impractical to employ it.

With my apparatus no tubing for the projected grain is employed and only so much of the hood allowed to come in contact with the material as is necessary to converge it, so as to receive the effect of the powerful air-blast.

At (1 is an air-pipe entering the chute A, which may be employed to deliver cold air or other substance to the falling grain or material. The air through pipe F may of course be of any temperature; but for the perfection of operation of my apparatus I propose that the air shall be reduced in temperature, even to zero or less, if desired. As this cold air mingles with the grain to project it, it also cools the grain, and thereby diminishes its liability to heat in bulk, by which it might be damaged.

The apparatus constructed and arranged for operation substantially in accordance with the foregoing explanations will be found to admirably answer all the purposes or objects of the invention hereinbefore alluded to.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mechanical trim m'er,a portable hood open at both ends, a chute, a deflector arranged to deliver grain or granular substances from the chute into the hood, and an air-injector arranged to project a current of air upon the moving substance to force the same through the discharge-orifice, combined sub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a mechanical trimmer, the combination of the grain-chute, movable deflector, the movable hood, and an air-injector, the parts being constructed and arranged for operation substantially as shown and described.

3. In a mechanical trimmer, the combination with the movable hood and air-injector of the movable deflector, the latter being mounted upon an adjustable standard, sub stantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.

4., The combination as before set forth, of the grain-chute, the deflector, the hood, the adjustable section of tubing, and the air-injector, all arranged for operation substantially as explain-ed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at New York city, New York, this 31st day of March, 1899.

ALFRED FI'IZROY.

\Vitnesses:

WORTH Oseoon, C. B. RHINEHART. 

